A key development in the quest to create sustainable ecosystems in space, this expandable greenhouse prototype aims to generate essential food and oxygen for long-term astronaut travel.

Recently, Peggy Whitson broke the record for longest stay in space (534 days) and astronauts have started growing their own vegetables on the International Space Station. This collapsible growing unit aims to take things to the next level, enabling longer-term settlements on places including the moon and Mars.

Developed by NASA and agricultural researchers at the University of Arizona, the test unit spans 7 by 18 feet. Its primary functions: convert carbon dioxide from crew, support plant photosynthesis. This bio-regenerative approach to life support is an essential system for recycling scarce resources off-planet.

It also takes its queues directly from our own world: “We’re mimicking what the plants would have if they were on Earth, and using of these processes for life support. The entire system of the lunar greenhouse does represent, in a small way, the biological systems that are here on earth.”

But a big trick to the design is simply its portability: materials take up space, so engineering minimal frameworks that will work when the system is expanded is critical to getting space greenhouses into (and out of) orbit in the first place.

Meanwhile, on the ISS, astronauts continue to grow (and consume) plants outside of Earth’s normal gravity, paving the way for a better understanding of how agriculture will really work off-planet in the future.

Starting with a model planet Earth the size of a marble, a team of filmmakers set out to simulate our entire solar system in motion and capture the results in a compelling short movie.

In normal images and models of the planets in our solar neighborhood, nothing is too scale – at scale on a piece of paper, planets becoming vanishingly small and effectively impossible to see on the page. Textbooks and other graphics misrepresent sizes almost by necessity simply because it would be impossible to depict things otherwise in a small visual field.

The resulting visuals distort our sense of the distance between celestial bodies. In the scale model featured above, set in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, Alex Gorosh and Wylie Overstreet give the viewer a much greater intuitive understanding of the separation and size of these spatial objects.

“As we got farther and farther away it diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine. That beautiful, warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart.” said James Irwin, Apollo 15 astronaut. He is one of only 24 people in human history have seen the full circle of the Earth with their own eyes.

Using LED lights, GPS calculations, a dirt disrupter and ultimately cars driving in circles to simulate the orbits at night, the team created a 1:847,638,000 scale model in which blips of light represent the various bodies in space.

One of the participants climbed a nearby mountain to film it all from above, while post-production overlays create a key for the video. Process documentation was made in part with a drone flying overhead. According to its creators, this is the first scale model of the solar system ever constructed.

Save the planet… for when you’re really stressed out! These 15 Earth Stress Reliever Balls put the whole world in your hands, allowing you both to bounce back from adversity. This surprisingly common stress ball design boasts a wide range of design variations so when you think you’re about to blow a gasket, don’t think local, think global!

Personalized Earth Stress Reliever Ball

(images via: QLP, Hexun, My Next Promo and WhatDoYouNeed.com)

Are you one of those A-type control freaks who’s just gotta put their stamp on the world, then squeeze it for all it’s worth? If the answer is yes, yes and yes, then yes we’ve got the perfect gift for you: a personalized Earth Stress Reliever Ball stamped with your name or company in a rainbow of different colors and a range of catchy fonts. The latter includes the much-despised and disparaged Comic Sans, guaranteed to totally stress out the competition.

Bio Degradable Eco Earth Stress Ball

(images via: GiftsTalk and Identity Links)

This unusually colored Eco Earth Stress Ball is biodegradable, just like our planet, and if there’s one Earth Stress Ball you’re squeezing on Earth Day it oughta be this one. According to the website sales copy, the ball is “made of recycle PU and natural non toxic bio degradable castor oil.” That first ingredient makes us a bit nervous, being that the ball is designed to be squeezed with one’s bare hands, but it seems “PU” is just an unfortunately chosen acronym for polyurethane. Whew! By the way, the copy also states the balls are packed individually… “in a PP bag.”

Earth Stress Cube

(images via: QLP and The ODM Group)

If the Flat Earth Society is looking for a great promotional item, may we suggest the world’s first Earth Stress Cube? Seriously, those FES’rs must be severely stressed out at the best of times, can you imagine what happens when they book a cruise? More realistically, the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas is using Earth Stress Cubes in an innovative, eco-friendly way: guests who don’t want housekeeping to change their bedsheets simply leave the cube on their bed when they leave. No word on if the cube is comped and guests can keep it after they’ve blown their budget at the craps table.

Oversized Earth Stress Ball

(images via: Amazon.com, Edison School PTA, Oakland Seen and Blog of Life Here)

These outsized Earth Stress Balls may not be stress reliever balls in the definitive sense but think about it: what fun is there to be had with a 400-pound ball? When the focus is on stress relief, however, occasions like the Oakland Zoo Earth Day event succeed admirably in reducing stress on multiple levels.

Cat-astrophic Earth Stress Ball

(images via: QLP Blog)

We humans are pretty tough on our old and only stomping grounds but things could be worse: the planet could be dominated by cats! Take Jack here as a representative example. According to Jack’s owner, “He loved that ball until it fell apart 3 years later.” Makes our 200-year history of industrialization seem inefficient, inadequate and ineffectual to say the least.

Made-In-China Earth Stress Ball

OK, we’ll admit that most if not all of the 15 different Earth Stress Reliever Balls discussed in this post are made in China but this one makes no effort to beat around the bush: they’re sold online by Made-in-China.com. You’d think that an obviously Chinese Earth Stress Ball would depict the continents in a China-centric manner but no… actually, it’s hard to discern ANY recognizably Earthly land mass. Maybe the ball comes from the future!

Celebrity Earth Stress Ball

(images via: QLP Blog)

If you think your office is a stressful place, imagine working at The Office under the watchful eye of corporate escape goat and wannabe secret agent Michael Scott. Is it any wonder HR rep Holly Flax made up a fake name (“Fanny Smellmore”, heh!) to a cell phone service rep in order to scarf a free Earth Stress Ball? Admit it, you would too. Fans of The Office, Holly and stress balls will find the scene in “The Search”, episode #15 of season 7, which aired on February 3rd of 2011.

Earth Heart Stress Ball

(images via: Sourcing Planet, Logo’Me and SZ-Wholesale)

We all love Mother Earth, right? Then show your love for Gaia by squeezing, crushing, pummeling, twisting and pounding a heart-shaped Stress Ball version of our only home in the universe! Our planet’s withstood much worse in its 4.5 billion (6,000 if you’re an ID adherent) year history so it can certainly withstand your impotent rage next time you throw a temper tantrum.

Earth Man Stress Ball

(images via: Wah Mee and Garrett Specialties)

Earth Girls may be easy but an Earth Man can relieve your stress… not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, some overly stressed stress ball squeezers might find a little extra satisfaction in stretching our flexible friend’s arms and legs. No harm done, just look at the expression on the Earth Man Stress Ball above: it’s positively Pacific.

Multicolor Earth Stress Relief Balls

(images via: Promo Wholesale, Imprint Items and SZ-Wholesale)

“Color Your World” may be Sherwin-Williams’ motto but it could apply equally to the above selection of colorful Stress Relief Balls. A little extra color on the continents means a little more visual interest for the stressed-out slob (or slobette) who’s overdue for a strenuous squeezing session.

World Map Stress Relief Ball

(images via: My Planet Wholesale)

Colorful continents on your Earth Stress Relief Ball just not doin’ it for ya? My Planet Wholesale‘s got something for that: the ponderously named World Map Foam Earth Globe Stress Relief Bouncy Ball Atlas Geography Toy… whew!

Glow Earth Stress Ball

(images via: Office Playground, Motivators and Gift Ideas)
What’s the point of having an Earth Stress Relief Ball if you can’t see it in a darkened room? With the Glow Earth Stress Ball that problem will never come up. Now if you’re in the habit of squeezing Stress Relief Balls in darkened rooms, you may have another problem that demands treatment beyond what a Stress Relief Ball can bring.

Wrist Rest Stress Ball Memo Holder

(images via: Alibaba)

Talk about unfortunate names… the so-called “Earth Hand Rest Cum Memo Holder” from Malaysia’s Ideahouse is an ambitious example of multitasking in a product that does so many things – and does them well, if not all at the same time. Actually, it’ll only do one thing at a time: you can’t rest your wrist on it while using it as a memo holder, for one thing. It’s enough to stress a guy out… which may lead to (a) losing a very important memo, (b) suffering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and (c) losing your job due to the combination of (a) plus (b). At least you’ve got your unfortunately named Earth Hand Rest Cum Memo Holder to squeeze, which is nice.

Hand Made Felt Earth Stress Ball

(images via: Handmade Felt Toys)

Kudos to Amanda of Handmade Felt Toys for crafting this unique, hand-felted Earth Stress Ball. According to Amanda, while in the process of creating the ball “I got lost in the deep blue of the ocean and my mind started to drift.” Stress Relief Balls are just like that, which is why they’re called… never mind. In any case, it’s an exquisite fuzzy world in miniature that relieves stress on sight. Just don’t let the cat get at it.

Generic Blue & Green Earth Stress Ball

(image via: Earthscribble)

If you’re talkin’ back to basics, blue & green only, no logo stress reliever balls, they’re out there by the bushel-full… literally, in some cases. Detail is often an afterthought, however – don’t expect fiddly, frilly Norwegian fjords worthy of Slartibartfast – but any Earth Stress Reliever Ball worth its salt at least ought to feature Madagascar. If not, we humbly suggest the manufacturer SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING.

Most space scientists, sociologists and sci-fi writers agree: when humankind finally sets down roots somewhere other than the planet of our birth, Mars is our most likely destination. Chilly, lifeless (as far as we know) and frighteningly far away, Mars still offers the best hope for a human race whose figurative eggs have been kept in one basket for far too long.

Living It Up On Mars

(image via: Erbzine)

Back in the days before the Space Race really got going, our impressions of landing, living and lasting on Mars came courtesy of sci-fi writers like Ray Bradbury at first, Hollywood producers after.

(images via: Fan de Cinema, Moviepro and Atomic Redhead)

Films like Robinson Crusoe On Mars, Abbott And Costello Go To Mars, and Santa Claus Conquers The Martians took a lot of liberties when it came to portraying life on the Red Planet – who was going to argue?

The Air Up There

(images via: Chemistryland and BCA’s SciFi Club)

As robotic probes like the Mariner orbiters and the Viking landers revealed the red planet’s forbidding nature, Hollywood shifted gears slightly and gave us screen gems like Total Recall. While short on hard science and heavy on Ah-nold, Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall (1990) at least tried to give a reasonable impression of what the seedier side of life would be like if grafted onto the Martian landscape.

A Savage Beauty

(images via: English Online and Doobybrain)

While Mars’ rugged beauty cannot be denied, the facts, figures and photos show the planet to have a harsh, unforgiving environment that will be a huge challenge for the first colonizers to deal with.

(images via: JPL/NASA and Arcadia Street)

Even so, enough raw materials, sunlight and most importantly water are all available on Mars – if we have the strength and stamina to use them.

Land Ho!

Landing on Mars isn’t easy to begin with, and when manned spaceships try it it’ll be even more difficult. Bouncing ball landings like those the Mars rovers conducted are out of the question, of course, so rocket-assisted landings such as the one made by the Apollo astronauts (on the moon) and the Phoenix lander are the alternative.

(images via: Slipperybrick and Space Gizmo)

At least parachutes can be used to slow the lander down during descent through the thin Martian atmosphere.

Checkin’ Out The New ‘Hood

(images via: Daily Galaxy and Ren Wicks)

Once on the ground, it’s time to look around. At first, astronauts landing on Mars will focus on conducting scientific experiments, finding & testing mineral samples and generally exploring the landing area. They’ll do this in souped-up variants of the reliable solar-powered rovers who have vastly outlasted their original projected lifespans.

Gimme Shelters

(images via: Meet Matt Browne, Antiquark and Telesavoirs)

Shelter will be a priority for explorers who plan on staying a while. The first “homes” on Mars will likely be spaceships designed for a one-way journey: if they can survive the rigors of space flight, their structure should be able to handle anything Mars throws their way.

Roots In Reddish Soil

(images via: NASA, Disturbed Pixels and Planet Masters)

Along with shelter, food is an essential requirement for anyone who wants to stay on Mars after all the packed rations have been consumed.

(image via: NASA)

Martian greenhouses filled with (and inflated by) Earthly atmospheres will draw upon the ice that, as reports from the Phoenix lander indicate, can be found mere inches beneath the surface. Will Martian soil be to the liking of earth crops? Thorough testing will have to be done to make sure it is.

Making Martians

(image via: Frank Frazetta)

We have seen the Martians, and they are ourselves. It’s only natural that once Mars colonies are established, the colonists will do their fair share to help the colony grow… by doing what comes naturally.

(images via: Blemya, Space Frontier Foundation and Malin Space Science Systems)

That “heart” above? Just one of the curious features of the Martian surface which, along with the famous Face On Mars, look eerily familiar but are completely natural.

Urban Planet 2.0

(image via: Baens Universe)

From tiny acorns, mighty oaks will grow… and so it will be with the first permanent settlements on Mars. The time will indeed come when today’s science fiction is indistinguishable from science fact.

(images via: Books On Mars and Tim Landry)

How mature Martian cities will look is purely speculative but if one applies urban trends on Earth, the results on Mars don’t seem so surprising. The urban model isn’t exclusive to Earth – cities, once established, will grow and evolve regardless of which planet’s soil they stand upon.

Terraforming Mars

(images via: Globalnet)

Ready to think big? Instead of adapting our lives and lifestyles to suit Mars, why not adapt the planet to suit OUR needs? It’s called terraforming and it takes time – hundreds to thousands of years (as opposed to Total Recall’s 2 or 3 minutes).

(images via: Wikimedia and Hudsonfla)

The results would be well worth the time and effort, however, as these images of a terraformed Mars show so well.

New Planet, Old Habits?

(image via: Between The Lines)

Colonizing Mars is one way for humanity to start over, as it were, with a clean slate. This is a challenge we’ve accepted before, following Columbus’ (re)discovery of the New World… the results were mixed, depending on who you ask. Will we have better (or worse) luck with Mars?